A mother is facing charges after police say she left her kids home alone. The kids then started a fire.

Police found the kids home alone and mom claimed she went to work.

Karla Fitzpatrick has been charged with child endangering after what happened near East 40th Street and Woodland Avenue in Cleveland with her kids home alone.

Records show firefighters rushed here for a grease fire and found the kids, ages eight and four, alone.

Child abuse investigators said it happened around 9:30 p.m. Police say mom claimed she ran to the post office. Then she admitted she left for work at 2:30 p.m. She also told them she'd left the kids with a cousin, but she knew the cousin couldn't be there the whole time.

That night Karla Fitzpatrick was arrested.

Child Welfare Workers said the kids were not hurt and are now with a grandmother. Mom may have tried to do the right thing by working, but she is now facing charges she did the wrong thing with the kids.

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